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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · clip · suit · patient · march · lash · season · rock

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rock — music
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — clothes
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — music
  20. season — in sport
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com